Collars for wear



May 12, 1964 B. LIGHT COLLARS FOR WEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12, 1960 uvwwrofi .Esri L 19212, B

A 77'ORNE Y May 12, 1964" B. LIGHT COLLARS FOR WEAR 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 12, 1960 m/l E/vrole .Beri 1,1921% ATTOIQNE) United States Patent ()fifice 3,132,347 Patented May 12, 1964 3,132,347 COLLARS FOR WEAR Bert Light, 4 Bath St., City Road, London E.C.1, England Filed Dec. 12, 1960, Ser. No. 75,428 Claims priority, application Great Britain Dec. 22, 1959 3 Claims. (Cl. 2132) This invention relates to collars for wear and more particularly to means for incorporating in collars for wear a' stiffening agent adapted to inhibit the tendency of a collar point to curl away from the body of the wearer.

In the mass production of shirt collars a significant proportion of the time spent in making a single collar is devoted to the incorporation of a stiffening agent for inhibiting outward curling of the collar point in relation to the body of the wearer. In, for example, one form of collar, stiffening agents for each of the collar points are incorporated inside the collar on the inner surface of the cape portion of a back ply of the collar. To this end, a further section of interlining is stitched to the inner surface of the capeportion of the back ply in the neighbourhood of each point thereof, the line of stitching defining a pocket within which is disposed a stiffening agent in the form of a flexible strip. If desired, the further section of interlining is additionally secured as by stitching around the periphery thereof to the back ply of the collar. It will be appreciated that this form of construction involves manual location of the stiffening agent prior to the formation of the pocket therefor or, alternatively, marking of the back ply and additional section of interlining in such a way as to enable the pocket to be formed before insertion into the pocket of the stiffening agent. The sewing operation together with the Work involved in locating the stiffening agent unnecessarily increase the overall time required to produce the collar and it is, therefore, an object of the present invention to reduce the overall time required to produce a collar for wear by providing improved means for incorporting a stiffening agent into the collar.

The present invention includes means for incorporating in a collar for wear a stiffening agent in the form of a flexible strip to inhibit the tendency of a point of the collar to curl away from the body of the wearer, comprising a section of fabric shaped in a manner complementary with and thereby adapted to fit within the cape portion of the collar, the section of fabric being formed with spaced slits or apertures adapted to permit interlacing of a flexible strip relative to the fabric section so as, desirably, to locate the strip when the fabric section is fitted within the cape portion of the collar.

The invention also includes means for incorporating in a collar for wear a stiffening agent in the form of a flexible strip to inhibit the tendency of a point of the collar to curl away from the body of the wearer, comprising a section of fabric shaped in a manner complementary with an end part of the cape portion of an interlining ply of the collar which end part is adapted to fit within the band of the collar, the section of fabric being formed with spaced slits or apertures adapted to permit interlacing of a flexible strip relative to the fabric section so as, desirably, to locate the strip when the fabric section is secured adhesively to the corresponding end part of the interlining ply of the collar.

For adhering the fabric section to the interlining ply; the fabric section may be provided on one side thereof with a coating of material, for example, polythene, which is fusible under heat and pressure to provide adhesion between the fabric section and the interlining ply. .Alternatively, the fabric section may include threads of material, for example, cellulose acetate, which fuse under heat and pressure or when treated with a suitable solvent aild thereby secure the fabric section to the interlining P Y- It will be appreciated that the provision of slits in the fabric section simplifies collar construction by predetermining the eventual location of the stiffening strip in the collar. The need to form a stitched pocket for retaining the stiffening strip is thus obviated with consequent saving of time as regards the overall period required to produce the collar. So that the outline of the stiffening strip will not be visible through the face ply of the collar, the fabric section is preferably secured to the face of the interlining ply adjacent the back ply of the collar.

The invention further includes a prefabricated inter lining for a collar for wear, comprising an elongated fabric element shaped to correspond substantially with the cape portion of the collar, two fabric sections disposed in the neighbourhood of respective opposite ends of the cape portion incorporating a prefabricated interlining comprising an elongated fabric element shaped to correspond substantially with the cape portion of the collar,

two fabric sections disposed in the neighbourhood of respective opposite ends of the fabric element and each formed with slits or apertures, and stiffening agents in the form of flexible strips respectively interlaced in the fabric sections, the fabric sections being adhesively bonded to the elongated fabric element and the apertures being so formed in the fabric section as, desirably, to locate the stiffening agents relative to the fabric element.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying somewhat diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates in plan view one form of fabric section comprising a means, in accordance with the invention, for incorporating in a collar for wear a stiffening agent in the form of a flexible strip;

FIGURE 2 illustrates in plan view one form of flexible strip for use with the fabric section of FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are plan views showing alternative ways of mounting the strip of FIGURE 2 in the fabric section of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 illustrates an alternative form of fabric section from that shown in FIGURE 1;

. FIGURES 6 and 7 are plan views of further forms of flexible strip for use with the fabric sections shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 8 is a view of a prefabricated interlining for a one-piece collar and incorporating the invention;

FIGURE 9 illustrates in plan view the prefabricated interlining of FIGURE 8 disposed upon superposed front and back plies of the collar.

FIGURE 10 illustrates the collar of FIGURE 9 after turning and final marginal stitching thereof;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary sectional rear plan View illulstrating a detail of the finished collar of FIGURE 10; an

FIGURE 12 is a detail cross sectional view through FIGURE 10 on the plane of the line 12-12.

In the drawings, like parts have been accorded the same reference numerals.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 to 3 and 8 to 11 of the drawings, means for incorporating in a collar for wear a stiffening agent adapted to inhibit the tendency of a collar point to curl away from the body of the wearer, comprise a pre-shrunk section 1 of textile interlining fabric provided on a face thereof opposite to that shown in the drawings with a coating of polythene and defined by parallel side edges 3 and 5, a lower edge 7 and mutually inclined upper edge parts 9 and 11.

Formed in the fabric section 1 are two mutually spaced parallel slits or apertures 13. Mounted in the fabric section 1 by means of the slits 13 is a stiffening agent in the form of a flexible strip 15 which is made from sheet plastic material, preferably of the kind sold commercially under the registered trade mark Mylar. The strip 15 is formed with tapered end parts 17 and 19 extending from a central part 21 between which and the part 17 are formed shoulders 23 whilst between the central part 2.1 and the end part 19 are formed shoulders 25. As seen in FIGURE 3, the strip 15 is interlaced relative to the fabric section 1 so that the end parts 17 and 19 are disposed on the side of the fabric section 1 opposite the polythene coating, whilst the central part 21 of the strip is disposed adjacent the polythene coated side of the fabric section 1. As will be apparent, the lengths of the slits 13 are such as to permit the strip parts 17 and 19 fully to project therethrough so that the shoulders 23 and 25 engage ends of the slits 13 and inhibit longitudinal movement of the stiffener strip relative to the fabric section 1.

The assembly of FIGURE 3 is mounted on a right-hand end of a collar interlining 41. A further assembly which comprises the mirror image of the assembly of FIGURE 3 is mounted on a left-hand end of the collar interlining 41.

The collar interlining 41 comprises elongated overlapping textile fabric elements 43 and 45, the element 43 being shaped in substantial correspondence with a neckband portion 47 of the collar, whilst the element 45 is shaped in substantial correspondence with a cape portion 49 of the collar. The elements 43 and 45 are arranged with a lower edge 53 of the cape interlining element 45 overlapping an upper edge 55 of the neckband interlining element 43 and the elements 43 and 45 are secured together by a line 57 of stitches which extends longitudinally in the area of overlap. It will be seen that from opposite ends of the upper edge 55 of the neckband interlining element 43, there extend edge parts 59 whilst between the lower edge 53 and side edges 60 of the cape interlining element 45 there extend edge parts 61 which are inclined similarly to the associated edge parts 59 and provide therewith a means of accurately registering the interlining elements 43 and 45 prior to securing together thereof by the stitching line 57.

Mounted on the cape interlining section 45 are fabric members 71 each having parallel side edges 73 and 75 and upper and lower edges 77 and 79. The members 71 are each coated on the face thereof adjacent to the interlining element 45 with polythene and are temporarily secured by spot welding at the corners thereof to the element 45, the spot welding being effected by utilising a heated body to press a small area of the members 71 at each corner thereof into contact with the interlining element 45.

The members 71, it will be seen from the drawings, are temporarily secured in position with the edges 75 disposed parallel to and spaced about A of an inch from the corresponding side edges 60 of the interlining section 45.

The assembly shown in FIGURE 3 and the like lefthand assembly are then placed on fabric members 71 with the edges thereof aligned with the edges 75 of the member 71 and the edges 11 aligned with inclined edge parts 81 connecting the side edges 60 of the element 45 with an upper edge 83 thereof. In this position, the fabric sections 1 are spot welded at three or four suitable locations to the respective members 71 in the same manner as the member 71 was spot welded to the cape interlining element 45.

The interlining 41 is next placed on superposed face and back plies 87 of the collar and stitched thereto by a line of stitching 89 which defines the outer boundary of the finished collar. The collar is then trimmed to facilitate turning thereof by cutting away the areas outwardly of the broken lines 91 and 93. After trimming, the collar is turned in known manner to dispose the plies 87 on opposite sides of the interlining 41. The collar is next given a decorative top stitching 95 and it will be seen that the stitching 95 perforates the strips 15 thereby additionally securing the latter against longitudinal movement.

As seen in FIGURE 11, the surplus material outwardly of the line of stitching 89 is folded back as a result of turning of the collar on to the corresponding edges of the fabric sections 1. This surplus material serves to stiffen the points of the collar. It will be seen, also, that the top stitching 95 further secures the fabric sections 1 and the fabric members 71 to the cape interlining section 45 so that movement of the sections 1 and member 71 in event of impairment of the fusing cannot take place.

After turning and top stitching of the collar, the latter is placed flat in a fusing press in which fusing by heat and pressure of the sections 1 to the members 71, the members 71 to the cape interlining element 45 and the surface of the neckband interlining element 43 to the face ply of the collar is effected whereupon the collar is ready for attachment to the body of a shirt.

Instead of temporarily securing members 71 to the cape interlining element 45 and the fabric sections 1 to the members 71, the cape portion of the interlining may be prefabricated by first fusing the members 71 to the cape interlining element 45 and subsequently fusing the fabric sections 1 to the members 71. After prefabricating the cape element of the interlining in this manner the neckband element 43 is secured thereto by the stitching line 57 or by fusion. The attachment of the interlining so formed to the plies of the collar, the trimming, turning and top stitching of the collar are then carried out in the manner described above whereupon the collar is once again placed in the fusing press so that the neckband portion of the interlining can be fused to the face ply of the collar.

It will be seen that the location of the slits 13 in the fabric sections 1 is such as to locate the strips 15 at a desired angle of approximately 30 to the side edges of the cape of the collar.

The invention thus provides a means of building stiffeners into the cape portion of a collar without the need to form, by stitching, a pocket for accommodating the stiffener in the interlining of the collar.

Further, because there are two layers of interlining between the major portion of the strips 15 and the face ply of the collar, the outline of the strips does not show through the face ply. The fusing of the sections 1 to the members 71 of the interlining provides, in the finished collar, a very firm fixing for the strips 15.

As shown in FIGURE 4 the strip 15 may be interlaced relative to the fabric section 1 in an alternative manner to that illustrated in FIGURE 3, namely by disposing the end parts 17 and 19 of the strip on the polythene coated side of the section 1 and the central strip part 21 on the side of the section 1 opposite the polythene coating. The assembly of FIGURE 4 can be incorporated in the collar in the same way as has been described in relation to the assembly of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 shows a fabric section 101 of the same shape as that shown in FIGURE 1 but instead of two slits 13 there are provided two pairs of slits 1311, the slits of each pair being spaced apart by about inch. The pairs of slits 13a provide for interlacing of the strips 15 in the section 101 so that the strip is disposed, apart from the parts of the strip between each pair of slits 13a, either on the polyethene coated side of the fabric or on the side opposite the polythene coated side thereof.

FIGURES 6 and 7 show alternative forms of stiffening strip which can be interlaced relative to the fabric sections 1 or 161. It will be seen that if the strip of FIGURE 6 is employed, reliance normally has to be placed upon the fusing and top stitching 95 as the means of inhibiting longitudinal movement of the strip. However, in order to fix the strip shown in FIGURE 6 against longitudinal movement thereof, the slits 13 or 13a can be repositioned so as to engage the upper inclined and lower curved edges of the strip.

The strip 15 of FIGURE 7 is formed with notches 103 in side edges thereof and the width of the strip between the notches is slightly less than the length of the slits 13a. Thus, when the strip is interlaced in the fabric section 101, the fabric band between each pair of slits engages the bottoms of the notches 103 and longitudinal movement of the strip is thereby inhibited.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that assemblies comprising the strip of FIGURES 6 or 7 interlaced in the fabric sections 1 or 101 can be incorporated in a collar in the manner described in relation to the assembly of FIGURE 3. r

The fabric sections 1 or 101, it will be understood, pro vide for the prelocating of the stiffening strip and for the introduction of the stiffening strip into a collar without the need for the stitching operations normally required to etfect locating of the strip. Because of this, the overall production time of a collar is reduced. Also, since the interlacing of the flexible strip 15 relative to the fabric sections 1 or 101 can be effected by the use of unskilled labour, collar production is made cheaper without impairing the precision thereof.

The fabric sections 1 or 101 and the members 71 may, instead of being coated on one side thereof with polythene, include threads of material, for example, cellulose acetate which fuse under heat and pressure or when treated with a suitable solvent and thereby secure the fabric section to the cape interlining element 45. It will further be apparent that whilst the fabric section 1 or 101 is being fused to the interlining, the strip 15, is formed from fusible plastic material, may be bonded by fusion to the member '71 and fabric section 1 or 101 and thereby permanently fixed in position within the collar.

What I claim is:

1. In a collar of the type comprising an elongated neckband and a cape folded down around the neckband, and which has substantially pointed portions at its opposite ends, and wherein the neckband and cape are comprised of face and back plies of fabric, means for inhibiting curling of the point portions of the cape, said means comprising: means in each of the end portions of the cape providing a two-layer fabric element of a shape substantially corresponding to that of the adjacent end portion of the cape, the two layers of said element being bonded to one another and one of the two layers being bonded to one of the plies of the collar; a plurality of slits in one of said layers spaced from one another along, and extending transversely to, a line substantially bisecting the adjacent pointed end portion of the cape; and a stiif but flexible elongated fiat stay interlaced through said slits, said stay having a medial portion which is wider than the length of the slits through which the stay is interlaced, and narrower end portions projecting lengthwise beyond the slits, substantially along said line, so that the stay has a portion thereof confined between the two layers of the fabric element to be restrained thereby against flatwise displacement, and the parts of the end portions of the stay adjacent to the medial portion thereof having a width substantially equal to the length of the slits in which they are received so that the shape of the stay secures the same against lengthwise displacement from the slits.

2. The collar of claim 1, further characterized by the fact that the end portions of each stay taper outwardly from the medial portion thereof to facilitate interlacing the stay through the slits.

3. The collar of claim 1, further characterized by the fact that the slitted layer of the two layer fabric element in each end portion of the cape has two spaced pairs of slits therein; and further characterized by opposite notches in the longitudinal edges of each stay spaced apart by the distance between the pairs of slits in the slitted layer so that the part of the slitted layer between each pair of slits engages the part of the strip between opposed notches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,969,928 Haven Aug. 14, 1934 2,001,883 McNicol May 21, 1935 2,615,167 Sarlf Oct.'28, 1952 2,769,979 Driesbach Nov. 13, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,776 Great Britain Mar. 29, 1899 9,487 Great Britain Aug. 10, 1885 455,163 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1936 794,535 Great Britain May 7, 1958 

1. IN A COLLAR OF THE TYPE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED NECKBAND AND A CAPE FOLDED DOWN AROUND THE NECKBAND, AND WHICH HAS SUBSTANTIALLY POINTED PORTIONS AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS, AND WHEREIN THE NECKBAND AND CAPE ARE COMPRISED OF FACE AND BACK PLIES OF FABRIC, MEANS FOR INHIBITING CURLING OF THE POINT PORTIONS OF THE CAPE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING: MEANS IN EACH OF THE END PORTIONS OF THE CAPE PROVIDING A TWO-LAYER FABRIC ELEMENT OF A SHAPE SUBSTANTIALLY CORRESPONDING TO THAT OF THE ADJACENT END PORTION OF THE CAPE, THE TWO LAYERS OF SAID ELEMENT BEING BONDED TO ONE ANOTHER AND ONE OF THE TWO LAYERS BEING BONDED TO ONE OF THE PLIES OF THE COLLAR; A PLURALITY OF SLITS IN ONE OF SAID LAYERS SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER ALONG, AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO, A LINE SUBSTANTIALLY BISECTING THE ADJACENT POINTED END PORTION OF THE CAPE; AND A STIFF BUT FLEXIBLE ELONGATED FLAT STAY INTERLACED THROUGH SAID SLITS, SAID STAY HAVING A MEDIAL PORTION WHICH IS WIDER THAN THE LENGTH OF THE SLITS THROUGH WHICH THE STAY IS INTERLACED, AND NARROWER END PORTIONS PROJECTING LENGTHWISE BEYOND THE SLITS, SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG SAID LINE, SO THAT THE STAY HAS A PORTION THEREOF CONFINED BETWEEN THE TWO LAYERS OF THE FABRIC ELEMENT TO BE RESTRAINED THEREBY AGAINST FLATWISE DISPLACEMENT, AND THE PARTS OF THE END PORTIONS OF THE STAY ADJACENT TO THE MEDIAL PORTION THEREOF HAVING A WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF THE SLITS IN WHICH THEY ARE RECEIVED SO THAT THE SHAPE OF THE STAY SECURES THE SAME AGAINST LENGTHWISE DISPLACEMENT FROM THE SLITS. 